Singapore looks set to make history if it plays and beats South Korea in the upcoming Nov. 16, 2023 World Cup qualifier.

This was after South Korea announced its national team roster, comprising renowned stars who are playing in Europe.

South Korean national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann — the former Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan and German national team star — called up 23 players on Nov. 6 for the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, according to Korean JoongAng Daily.

The naming of line-up comes as the dominant South Korean squad will play Singapore on Nov. 16 and China on Nov. 21.

The South Korean team will have Son Heung Min of Tottenham Hotspur, Lee Kang In of Paris Saint-Germain, Kim Min Jae of Bayern Munich, along with Hwang Hee Chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Lee Jae Sung of Mainz and Cho Gue Sung of FC Midtjylland have also been called up.

All of them played the October friendlies during which Korea won against Tunisia and Vietnam.

Other players picked for the first team include those who play domestically in the Korean league, Japanese league, and elsewhere in Europe.

In 27 all-time meetings between South Korea and Singapore, South Korea have registered 22 wins, three draws and two losses against Singapore.

Their last loss came in 1968.

Known for their dominance in the Asian zone, South Korea aims to solidify their position in the 2026 World Cup, Asian zone qualifiers.

Since Klinsmann took the helm in February, the team stayed winless for its first five games and secured a 1-0 win against Saudi Arabia on Sept. 12 before beating Tunisia 4-0 and Vietnam 6-0 in October.

Background

Singapore beat Guam 3-1 on aggregate to advance to the second round of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

Drawn into Group C – the group of death – Singapore will have to face South Korea, Thailand, and China.

Their next match will be against South Korea in Seoul on Nov. 16, 2023.

South Korea will visit Singapore on June 6, 2024.

The South Korea team is the highest-ranked in Group C at 26.

Singapore is ranked 157.

About 2026 World Cup

There are 36 nations divided into nine groups of four in the second round.

The top two teams from each of those groups will move on to the third round, where they will be paired into three groups of six.

The top two teams from each group will then go to the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The third- and fourth-place teams from the three groups will still have a shot at qualifying in the fourth round.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition to feature 48 nations, up from the current 32.

Top photos via @hm_son7 Instagram & @kanginleeoficial Instagram